


Adaptation and Survival

by regentzilla



Category: Street Fighter
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-06-05 00:23:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6682006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regentzilla/pseuds/regentzilla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The second time Cammy and Mika meet, neither of them remembers the first. While hesitantly growing closer, they're also forced to look back on the shared memories that they would rather forget.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Cammy had been waiting in the airport through delay after delay, and her Delta Red uniform was starting to garner strange looks from the other patrons of the coffee shop she was loitering in. Every time she glanced out at the arrivals board and saw Domodedovo International to Lyon-Saint-Exupéry highlighted in red it seemed brighter and more glaring. Leave it to Zangief to be travelling on Interpol's dime and still pick a budget airline.

The wait for Zangief's flight hadn't been all bad, though, as uncomfortable as weathering the odd glances had become – there were lots of familiar faces passing through the terminal, many that Cammy knew instantly and even more that she was unable to place. It was comforting to see so many old friends and acquaintances, and to drift back through memories as a distraction. She stayed firmly focused on the good times, the long but satisfying nights at work and the pulse-pounding fights. 

Good as it was to see friendly faces, the reason they were all gathering in Lyon was far from a joyous one.

She snapped her gaze up to the clock on the wall and tapped her fingers in a heavy rhythm against her table, setting her empty cup rattling against the surface. She wouldn't have been waiting if Zangief hadn't explicitly asked her to, and the promise of leaving the terminal for her cushy and quiet hotel room was growing more and more tempting.

But, Zangief was boisterous and adamant over the phone about having someone with him that he wanted Cammy to meet, and refused to say anything else. 

Cammy's limited knowledge of French had turned the announcements into a mash of background noise long ago, but she jolted back to the present when she heard the announcer's soothing voice say 'Domodedovo'. She stood and craned up at the arrivals board through the front glass partitions of the café – Domodedovo, arrived, at a different terminal than the one scheduled – and bolted out into the crowds mingling and meandering to and fro like the currents of an ocean. She went as fast as she could without breaking into a run – it wasn't against any rules, not in a massive international terminal where at least one person was always late, but seeing someone in uniform running through any kind of public area tended to cause a commotion.

By the time she got across the entire airport she was winded. She could already see Zangief's mohawk, head, and shoulders looming in front of the baggage roundabout, and the open space in the group of other people retrieving their luggage where they were giving him a wide berth.

Cammy didn't see his mysterious companion until she broke through the crowd. She looked tiny next to Zangief but she was a little taller than Cammy, and the first thing Cammy noticed about her was her bright blonde hair tied up in two thick pigtails. Her clothing was flashy next to Zangief's worn denim jacket and jeans that might have been fashionable 20 years ago, but dated in a different way. Her shorts were denim as well, but they were matched with leggings, leg warmers, thick sneakers, and a varsity jacket, all in varying pastel shades. Her backpack was obscured completely by pins and zipper pulls, and the suitcase on the ground next to her was electric pink.

Zangief hauled his own battered and sticker-laden suitcase off the roundabout and turned around to leave, and found himself face to face with Cammy. Even though he looked tired from travel his face brightened in an instant, and he dropped his luggage so he could pick Cammy up and wrap her in a smothering hug. She let him, but only for a few seconds before tapping out against his shoulder. He put her back down very gently.

“So good to see you, Cammy, you look well! This,” he said, in his decent but heavily accented Japanese, clapping a proud hand down on his companion's back, “is who I wanted you to meet! My apprentice!”

She was clearly an athlete of some kind, apparent in her broad shoulders, tree-trunk legs, and the musculature of her forearms under candy-bright beaded bracelets. Not only that, but she didn't even flinch under the impact of Zangief's massive hand, in which her head could have rested like an orange would in Cammy's.

She bowed deeply, pulling her hands out of her pockets to hold by her sides, then thrust out a hand for Cammy to shake. "My name is Nanakawa Mika! It's very nice to meet you!"

Zangief grinned as Cammy accepted the handshake. She – Mika – was a bit of a shouter. Cammy could already see why the two of them were friends.

"Special Agent Cammy White. You're here for the summit, Miss Nanakawa?"

Mika's eyes widened when Cammy responded in Japanese, despite Cammy's stilted accent from lack of practice. “Y-yes! I am!” She looked up at Zangief and said something in Russian with a pout, and Zangief laughed and responded. Cammy flicked her gaze between the two of them, trying to parse the meaning of their conversation from their expressions.

Mika nodded and turned to face Cammy again. “I'm sorry to rush off so soon, but I need to get checked into my hotel. It was very nice to meet you, Special Agent White!” She bowed once more and scurried off, pink suitcase rolling behind her, and tossed a wave over her shoulder at Zangief. He grinned and waved back.

“She seems nice,” Cammy said, slipping back into English.

Zangief knocked an elbow against Cammy's shoulder. "You make her shy!"

Cammy looked up at him, eyes wide. "That was shy?"

"She didn't even tell you her ring name. It takes a lot for Rainbow Mika to be all business and no fun!"

A wrestler. Of course – what else would Zangief's apprentice be?

“She's a bright one,” he said, tapping a finger against the side of his head. “Body smart. Learns new techniques fast. Good instincts.”

Cammy raised an eyebrow and took a few steps back in the direction she had come from, towards the signs pointing out an exit. Zangief followed, carrying the suitcase that Cammy could have curled up in under one arm. “Is that why you wanted me to meet her?”

“Among other reasons! I wanted to invite you out this afternoon.”

“I don't know... we all have an early morning tomorrow, and you must be jetlagged...”

Zangief's easy stride left Cammy powerwalking to keep up. Even though they had stepped out of the way of the luggage carousel they were still being stared at. “I did a little calling around,” he said, “and found a gym close by here. Closed on weekends, but I told them who we are, pulled some strings. You won't even come out for one or two rounds?”

Now that was tempting. Cammy chewed on the inside of her cheek and weighed sparring against a nap.

“I know you wear your combat suit under your uniform. And, Mika will be there,” Zangief said, a playful lilt in his booming voice that made Cammy narrow her eyes up at him, which just made him laugh. “You'll love her, trust me!”

Cammy rolled her eyes back down and stared adamantly forward, but she couldn't ignore her blossoming curiosity. “Why didn't she stay with us, if she's coming along?” She didn't need to be looking at Zangief to know he grinned triumphant at her indirect acceptance of his invitation.

“I can wear my costume under my clothes, like you,” Zangief said, slapping a hand against his hip. “Mika, her costume is in her luggage. Would have gotten her kicked off the plane!”

Now Cammy was definitely curious.

The walk to the gym was a short one, even with Zangief twisting and turning his tourist's map this way and that and second-guessing his directional choices every few blocks. The building itself seemed less than reputable, but what Cammy could see of the inside suggested they had used their funds on making it state-of-the-art instead of good looking. There was a complicated-looking keypad next to the door, and when Zangief flipped the cover open they found the lock indicator light already green.

“We're late!” Zangief chuckled, opening the heavy doors with an easy push. Cammy followed him into the dark belly of the foyer, and then through another set of doors to the gym itself. Her eyes had yet to adjust to the dimness, but a faint light from what must have been a changing room or shower provided enough illumination that she could make out shapes and silhouettes.

There was already a figure waiting in the central boxing ring, standing on the ropes with hands on hips. Cammy was not prepared for the sight that greeted her when Zangief flicked all the lights on with a flip of a single finger.

It was Mika, no doubt, but she was wearing one of the most absurd wrestling leotards Cammy had ever seen. There were frills everywhere, spraying out of her hips and wrists, she was wearing a tiny blue mask, her chest was just... right out there.

Mika slapped a hand hard against her rear and then beckoned towards Cammy. “Wanna go a round, Secret Agent Girl?”

Zangief laughed and clapped, head thrown back, bellowing voice bouncing through the empty gym. Cammy gaped.

“Go for it!” Zangief's hand came down on Cammy's shoulder, urging her forward.

“No, thank you,” she said, a little hastily, “but I appreciate the kind offer. I'll sit this one out.”

“Suit yourself,” Zangief said, stripping his clothes off as he walked forward, revealing the scar-lined topography of his muscles and his tiny red shorts. “Perhaps next time, eh?”

Cammy finally got her mouth to close. “Yes,” she agreed, so quietly that she wasn't sure Zangief even heard, “perhaps.”

He stepped into the ring, giant legs clearing the ropes easily, and stood chest-to-face with Mika in the middle. She squared her shoulders and stance and puffed her chest out, but her heavy frame still looked lacklustre next to the wall of meat that was Zangief.

“Ding ding!” she yelled, and in the same breath jumped off the mat and scaled Zangief like a monkey, latching onto his back. He laughed and stumbled, arms flailing to try and grab onto her, but he got serious in a hurry. He slammed down on his back but before he landed Mika had dropped to the ground and rolled clear.

“You little cheater,” Zangief scolded, a wild grin on his face as he hauled himself up, shaking the ring with the force of his feet slamming down.

Mika bounced on the balls of her feet, hands held out in front of her. “If you want me to stop cheating you'll have to make me, Master Zangief!”

They flew at each other again. It had been a long time since Cammy had seen a friendly match like this one.

Cammy hadn't sparred with Zangief in some time, but she could tell when someone was exerting real effort – within minutes there were creases of concentration in Zangief's forehead, bulges of veins along his arms and temples, and sweat soaking into the waistband of his shorts. He wasn't holding back. Despite their difference in size and experience, Mika dealt back a blow for every one Zangief landed and dodged out of his grabs with a practiced ease. They were both dripping sweat when Mika danced behind him with a squeak of boots and hunkered down, bent at the knees and red-faced with concentration.

With one hand in the middle of Zangief's back and one with a white-knuckled grip on his shorts, she let out a yell that bordered on animalistic and lifted Zangief not only off the floor but over her head, all seven feet and 400 pounds of him, and then slammed him down with a thunderous boom.

“I give!” Zangief laughed, swatting Mika away as she tried to get him into a headlock. “A good match, a good match! But we have to save some energy for tomorrow!”

Mika sat down heavily, crossed her arms and legs, and pouted. “Aww, Master Zangief... I was so close to winning, too!”

“You can win another day,” he said, standing and offering a hand to Mika. She fell back and kicked up, landing on her feet. “We should get back to our hotels. I'm sure Cammy wants to get some rest too.”

“Oh!” Mika gasped, like she had forgotten Cammy was even there. “I'm so sorry, of course! Secret Agent White, I hope we didn't keep you for too long...”

Cammy waved a hand. “Not at all! Please, just call me Cammy. It was an amazing match, I'm glad to have been able to see it.”

Mika's face reddened once more and she tugged the narrow band of her mask down, as if that would cover it. “Th-thank you, Cammy! I hope we can spar soon, maybe after the conference is finished!”

“I would like that very much,” Cammy smiled.

The light outside was dimming, casting alternating bands of warm sun and cool shade through the tight-packed buildings. Cammy stood on the empty sidewalk for a few minutes, waiting for Zangief and Mika to finish changing so she could say goodnight before they headed off to their respective hotels.

Zangief emerged first, luggage in tow and once again clad head to toe in dated denim. “So?” he said, leaning back against the building next to Cammy. “What do you think of her?”

Cammy wondered if Zangief could feel the bite of the brick facade against his back through his jacket or the thick-scarred skin on his back. She could certainly feel it through her uniform. “I like her,” she replied. “She seems like a very talented and earnest young lady.”

Zangief nodded. “She is! And you know what,” he said, elbow digging into Cammy's shoulder, “I think she likes you!”

Cammy raised an eyebrow at the tone of his voice, and looked up to find him looking down at her with a goofy grin plastered across his face.

“You... Zangief!” Cammy spluttered, feeling redness blossom across her own cheeks. “You didn't bring her all this way just to play cupid, did you?”

“Of course not! She really is here for the conference! She's, eh... testifying.”

Cammy froze, and the cool shade they were standing in suddenly felt like ice water. She crossed her arms over her chest, holding back a shiver. “Testifying. About what? When did she...?”

“Back when she first debuted as a professional. She went all over the world fighting as promotion, and eventually... made her way to Shadaloo. It was because of me, we were sparring when Bison found us.”

Cammy stared at him, not wanting to voice the question she really wanted to ask. Zangief met her eyes then looked away and nodded.

“You were Killer Bee, and... you did fight her. Just once! She doesn't remember you! She told me about a young woman in a red cloak, that's all.”

“I don't remember her at all...” Cammy muttered, then buried her face in her hands. Her eyebrows furrowed together in frustration. “Zangief, this is incredibly dishonest.”

“It is not,” he insisted. “You are not Killer Bee anymore.”

“But...”

“And I wanted my apprentice to meet one of my best and dearest friends,” he said, removing her beret to ruffle her hair, then putting it back on lopsided. “Whose name is Cammy White!”

Before Cammy could protest further or ask any more questions, the panic bar of the gym doors slammed and Mika emerged. She was back in her street clothes, wheeling her luggage behind her, and gave Cammy a bright smile and a wave.

“You waited, that's so sweet!”

Cammy smiled and waved back and hoped Mika couldn't tell she wasn't feeling it. “Of course. I wanted to see the two of you off.”

Mika bowed deeply. “It's been very nice to meet you, Cammy! I'll see you tomorrow!”

“Goodnight, Mika, Zangief,” Cammy said. Zangief gave her another bear hug before they parted ways.

The hotel was nice and the bed was comfortable but Cammy didn't sleep well.


	2. Chapter 2

Cammy's 5:30 wake-up call jolted her out of sleep what felt like seconds after she finally closed her eyes and drifted off. She stumbled through her morning routine in the unfamiliar hotel room layout, even more confusing through sleep-blurry eyes, and stood under the cold shower spray hoping to wash away the dark bags creeping down her cheeks. She nodded off standing up in the elevator down to the main floor, and before entering the hotel's conference room she ducked into a bathroom to make sure she hadn't put any parts of her uniform on wrong. Thankfully the worst part was a lopsided tie. She straightened it, splashed more cold water on her face, then entered the conference room and zeroed in on the free coffee.

This was just the debriefing before the actual summit, the one for law enforcement and military. The room was filled with a muted rainbow of uniforms, berets, side caps, and buzzcuts. At the front of the room, next to the projector, Chun-Li stood in full police regalia with her own paper cup of coffee. She looked like she hadn't slept at all, and Cammy felt a little guilty that having a kindred exhausted spirit made her feel better. She could see Guile's hair as well, standing just a few inches over the majority of the crowd. She resisted the urge to shove her way over to him just for the company.

Chun-Li drained her coffee and placed the empty cup aside, then raised a hand and snapped her fingers. The soft murmur of the few dozen people gathered died out. “Thank you,” she said, in English. “I know it's early, I know we're not looking forward to doing this, but I would like to thank all of you for being here this week. You're doing important work. I thank you, Interpol thanks you, the world is going to thank you once this is all done.”

Rapt silence. Nobody Cammy knew could command the attention of a crowd of uniforms quite like Chun-Li.

“Those of you who are going to testify, you've already been contacted personally.” Chun-Li's gaze met Cammy's for an instant and turned soft and sympathetic, before she looked away and hardened again. “Those who are here to report back to their respective departments, there are basic information packages up here. We'll go over all of it at the summit, but it's basics you need to know and not forget.”

The packages were passed around, spreading through the crowd. Cammy refused to look at them but she could see the red-and-gold of Shadaloo's emblem out of the corner of her eyes anyway.

“Most importantly,” Chun-Li continued, flipping the projector on and gesturing for the lights to be turned down, “the layout of the building. There will be security there, of course, but in case the worst comes to pass we would like all of you to be able to help, since you all have combat training.”

Cammy managed to get her mind to focus for the duration of Chun-Li's explanation, then let it drift away again. She'd been distracted since the night before, and she couldn't help but wish that Zangief hadn't said anything – but then, she would have pried the information from him in the end anyway.

The day was warm and spring-crisp, but being stared at as she and the others crossed the street to where the summit proper was being held bittered the warm air somewhat. As it turned out they were some of the first people to arrive. Cammy took her designated spot in the seats stretching down from the entrance to the stage, like a lecture hall, and watched people funnel in from behind her seat at the long desk that stretched from aisle to aisle. Soon enough there was a burble of voices filling the yawning room and not a single seat was left empty, filled with all the familiar and strange faces Cammy had seen at the airport.

It felt strange being the only former World Warrior aside from Chun-Li and Guile not seated in the front with the others, but none of them were politicians or police officers or secret agents. The only one of her friends who didn't look uncomfortable in formal wear was Ken Masters – Ryu in particular was fidgeting endlessly in his seat, and judging by the way the suit was stretched tight around his stomach he was borrowing one of Ken's, tailored for a body just a little slimmer than his.

Mika, of course, was at the front as well. She didn't seem to know anyone but Zangief and a young lady with corkscrew curled blonde hair, because she was seated between them and was bobbling back and forth, talking to them both.

Just as she had with the small group in the conference room, Chun-Li began things by raising a hand and snapping her fingers. It had the same effect, even in the much larger space – in seconds the room had fallen under a hush.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming out,” Chun-Li said, in her native Chinese. The message reached Cammy's earpiece in English a moment later. “This is the first and hopefully the last international summit to address the growing influence of the criminal organization Shadaloo across the globe.”

Cammy wasn't the only representative from MI-6, but she was the only one from Delta Red. The rest of her unit had more than a small tiff over whether or not they should send her, but in the end she insisted. She knew all of it already, she had argued, and so the summit would just be a refresher course. She could come back and fill everyone in better than anyone else could. And besides, she'd probably have to be there as a witness anyway, right?

But, as the morning stretched on and drew closer to noon, Cammy was starting to realize she didn't know as much as she thought. All of the Dolls were cemented in her mind, of course, and much of Bison, but it seemed that despite her rank she had still been nothing more than a pawn. Her notes filled tens of pages after just a few hours. Things she knew, things her memory was still holding out of her reach, things that she didn't even have an inkling about. Most of it made her want to snap her pen in half.

At just a few minutes after noon, Chun-Li paused and picked up her water bottle, taking a long drink. Her voice would no doubt be absolutely gone by the end of the summit.

“A good deal of Shadaloo's impact was once felt only by known fighters, such as myself and the other World Warriors,” Chun-Li said, placing her water back down and turning with a gesture to the front row seats. Cammy straightened in her seat and jabbed her earpiece harder into her ear with one finger. Things were finally going in the direction Cammy had been waiting for. “Lately they've grown more bold, directly targeting not only people close to the World Warriors, but previously unrelated parties. To clarify that I'd like to speak to one of those people, namely Nanakawa Mika, also known as Rainbow Mika in professional wrestling circuits.”

If Mika was anything like Zangief when it came to matters of fighting – and based on what Cammy had seen, she most certainly was – then that introduction might not have sat well with her. It almost felt like she was being used to demonstrate how Shadaloo was attacking the weak and defenceless. Mika couldn't have been totally averse to criticism, if she was she wouldn't do very well as an apprentice, but to be Zangief's protege she must have had more burning pride in her abilities than most.

If she had gotten that kind of introduction, Cammy would have been absolutely burned up, but Mika took her seat on the stage next to Chun-Li without so much as a flinch.

“Miss Nanakawa,” Chun-Li said, and Mika nodded in response. “You're close with Mr. Zangief, I understand?”

After a short pause, Mika responded. 

Chun-Li's kind demeanour seemed to ease Mika's fidgeting anxiety somewhat, but the stress of the situation still showed plain on her face. Without the barrier of her mask her features seemed exposed, and without flashy clothes or the ability to move and put on a show the spotlight and attention seemed uncomfortable.

The tale she recounted, with gentle prompting from Chun-Li, was just as Zangief had told Cammy, but with more of the gaps and details filled in. It was almost cliche – a dark and stormy night, an unlikely meeting with her idol and an even more unlikely one with the commander of a great and evil power. As she explained, Mika grew more restless, uncrossing and recrossing her legs back and forth and trying to find the right thing to do with her hands. Cammy found herself tensing in her own seat.

“Just one more question, and then we'll take a short break,” Chun-Li said. “Miss Nanakawa, at the time of your fight with Balrog and Bison, had you any experiences fighting outside of a wrestling ring before?”

Mika's brow furrowed as soon as the question left Chun-Li's mouth. “Of course I did! I'd fought all over the world before that, all kinds of people and styles...”

“My apologies,” Chun-Li hastened to interrupt, “let me rephrase. Had you ever been involved in a death match before?”

The assembled crowd murmured at the weight of the phrase. Mika fell silent and her frown tugged deeper at her normally bright and open features. “No,” she said, I hadn't.”

Chun-Li thanked her in Japanese then continued in Chinese. Cammy picked at her earbead, but unlike the rest of the hall's occupants Cammy's attention stayed on Mika. She took her seat again at the front of the assembly and Cammy was relieved to see that she looked more bored than anything, though she was picking at what must have been a loose thread on her jacket and smoothing her skirt down incessantly, folding her legs back and forth again. Heels and a suit were plainly not a familiar outfit for her.

A concerned mutter from a third of the room, followed about two seconds later by a mutter from the attendants listening to their translators, jolted Cammy back to the issue at hand. Focus. Work first, personal concerns later.

Cammy had never been good at putting work first. When Chun-Li finished her address – a good one, even translated on the spot – and called for a short break before they would hear another witness to Shadaloo's crimes, Cammy was the first out of her seat. She dodged delegates and politicians and offered a polite nod to the World Warriors she knew, then crouched down next to Mika's seat, where she had slumped down again.

“Are you okay?” Cammy offered up her own bottle of water, almost out of reflex, and Mika accepted it with the same detached affect.

“I'm... not not okay,” she said, twisting the cap off and turning it over in her hand, not drinking. “That was weird. I dunno if I ever told anyone the whole story before.”

Cammy urged her with a gesture to drink and she took a sip, still staring at Cammy, lost in thought.

“You did very well,” Cammy assured her, standing for a moment only to take Zangief's seat and resting a hand on Mika's forearm. She hoped the gesture was comforting and not crossing any boundaries. “I think we'll be seeing some real forward motion from other organizations, thanks to you.”

Out of the corner of her eye she caught Zangief glancing towards the two of them. She took a moment to frown up at him and he tossed her a quick thumbs up in response. She was surprised at how comfortable he seemed in his massive suit.

When she turned back, Mika was smiling at her. She still looked somewhat rattled, but her bright expression was genuine, if a little tired. “Thank you, Cammy,” she said. “I can't believe you've been so kind to me, and we only just met!”

If Cammy were still holding her pen at that point, it would have been in pieces on the floor. “Please,” she said, returning the smile but with none of the sincerity, “think nothing of it.”

“I'm gonna need to unwind after this,” Mika said with a sigh, slumping back further in her seat. “You wanna go a couple rounds over at the gym, maybe?”

Zangief was still shooting them glances, no doubt doing his best to listen in as well. Cammy bit her lip – she didn't want to refuse, but she knew that in a few minutes Mika would probably be taking back the invitation anyway.

“I'd very much like to,” Cammy said, “but I didn't sleep very well last night, and I'm not sure if...”

Mika waved a hand. “I get it! If you're up to it after, let me know. But if you're not, it'll be a rain check, okay?”

Cammy nodded. The sound of Chun-Li's fingers snapping cut through the air.

“Oh, shoot,” Mika frowned. “You gotta head back up to your seat already?”

“I'm actually... I'm going to be testifying next,” Cammy replied. Her stomach was in her throat and her heart was in her feet. It felt like her words were tripping over themselves as she forced them out of her mouth, losing any semblance of their usual confidence on the way.

Mika's thin eyebrows shot up. “Really? It'll go great, I know it.” Could she tell Cammy was anxious? Probably – Cammy felt like she was exuding the same energy as a puffed-up cat. “Do you best, you'll knock 'em dead!”

With one more rubbery smile Cammy stood and headed for the empty seat that Mika had been in just a few minutes earlier. Chun-Li passed behind her and a sympathetic hand came to rest on Cammy's shoulder, just for a moment. She tried to take a few deep breaths and calm down.

“Thank you,” Chun-Li said, once the room was silent once more. “This is going to be quite serious, so let's get right into it. Some of the most unpleasant aspects of Shadaloo's activities are kept very well under wraps, and only people on the inside know the full details, so to speak.”

Cammy's stomach wrenched even tighter. She suddenly understood why Mika had been fidgeting so much – she had to resist the urge to adjust her uniform already. She didn't even realize she had zoned out until Chun-Li addressed her directly.

“Your name and occupation?”

“Special Agent Cammy White,” she said, the microphone in front of her making sure nobody in the hall missed a single word, “with the Delta Red detachment of MI-6.”

“And before that?”

Cammy's breath caught in her throat and she spared a glance at Mika – she was watching intently, face stern. Cammy swallowed her nerves down and turned back to Chun-Li.

“Killer Bee. Head of the Dolls, and chief assassin and field operator of Shadaloo.”


	3. Chapter 3

The second day of the conference was postponed due to torrential rain.

Just as she expected, Cammy didn't end up going out to spar with Mika after her testimony. Mika had barely looked at her after – when Chun-Li dismissed everyone, Mika had stood and marched towards the door, staring adamantly forward. As she passed by Cammy her resolve wavered and she glanced over, faltering as she did. It threw off the rhythm of her pace and she wobbled in her heels and almost tripped on the stairs, but pulled herself together and left the hall. Zangief had hurried after her, not sparing even a sideways glance at Cammy.

Was she unable to connect the new Cammy with the memory of the girl in the red cloak and the night she fought Bison? Or were the two people now one in her mind? If it were anyone else Cammy wouldn't have been bothered about the dramatic plummet of the relationship, especially with a stranger she had known for one day – but Mika had been nothing but kind and earnest and Zangief had been so adamant about wanting them to meet. Would Mika even show her face at the next day of discussion, after hearing all the awful things Cammy had to say? Cammy felt like she had betrayed both Mika and herself by being attached to her uncontrollable past.

Those and a thousand other thoughts and questions skittered through Cammy's head, no matter how hard she tried to shoo them away, as she watched the rain drag long lazy lines down the hotel window. She sat on the bed – rumpled and messy from lack of sleep, just like she was – and drifted in and out of them until the steaming hot coffee clutched in her hands was cold, and then until she had sipped it down to dregs.

When her cellphone buzzed against the bedside table, she almost didn't answer it. She scrunched her face up and reasoned that it might be someone important – Chun-Li, or Zangief, or someone else she knew – and reached out to pick it up and press the accept call button without taking her eyes off the window.

“Special Agent White.”

“H-hi there... I'm g-glad you answered...”

Cammy sat bolt upright, and let the near-empty mug fall from her hands and bounce against the floor so she could grasp the phone with both hands. “Mika?”

“That's me... Hi, Special Agent White...” She sounded... not angry, like Cammy had expected, and not sad either. There was a tinge of panic in her voice, something that hadn't been there at any point in the past two days.

“Is something wrong?”

“No! Nothing!” Too quick, too insistent. Cammy stood and started to kick out of her pajama pants, retrieving her combat suit from the narrow closet. “I was just wondering if you wanted to... come out and have a match, maybe...?”

“Something's wrong. Where are you?”

“At the gym!”

“I'll be there in less than five minutes, is that okay? Can you stay safe for that long?”

“Sure thing! And, uh, Special Agent White, there's no need to bring anything. Or anyone! Nobody else needs to... get involved, right?”

And then a dial tone blared through the line, almost before the last word was out of Mika's mouth. Cammy wrenched the phone away from her ear, then tossed it aside onto the bed. She was in her combat suit in seconds, pulled on her uniform pants and jacket overtop of it with none of the accessories, and raced out the door, phone in her hand so she wouldn't risk missing another call.

The streets were a blur of dull concrete stained dark and wet by the rain. Cammy ran the entire way, the grip of her boots squeaking against the ground, and only slowed when the gym doors forced her to. As she suspected they would be, they were already unlocked. She pushed in cautiously, walking with a cat-silent stride, tingling alert and ready to react to whoever or whatever was in the building with Mika.

There was a silhouette in the dark center of the room, what looked like one person standing and one sitting. A faint click sounded from behind Cammy, and the lights burst on, blinding her for a split second. Before she could do more than recognize the two people in front of her – Mika sitting on a folding chair, and _Balrog_ standing, she would know his stance and his posture anywhere – a gut-clenching scream erupted from behind her. She whirled around and just narrowly sidestepped the person who had come flying at her back, claws shredding neat lines in the floor mat as he landed on one knee and one hand. Vega.

Cammy opened her mouth to speak but Balrog beat her to it.

"What fuckin' part of cooperate didn't you understand!?"

Vega stood and looked at Balrog like he had never seen anything more piteous or contemptible. "Balrog," he said, "I'd think you would know by now that this is about as cooperative as I can bring myself to be."

“What are you doing here?” Cammy interrupted, drawing the attention of both Shadaloo Generals back to her. “What do you want with Mika?”

Vega chuckled and Balrog barked out a laugh. “Oh, Killer Bee,” Vega said, shaking his head, “we're here for you! And we took her so we could get to you.”

Cammy cast a glance towards Mika, and caught her expression of stark terror harden into one of resolve. Before Cammy could shout at her to not do whatever she was planning to do, Mika sprang to her feet, knocking the folding chair back to the ground with a clatter, and kicked Balrog's feet out from under him with a solid leg sweep. He hit the floor hard, swearing. Vega looked back for just a split instant, clicked his tongue against his teeth in what Cammy guessed was disappointment, then turned back to Cammy.

“I was hoping it wouldn't come to this,” Vega said, falling into an offensive stance and holding his claw at the ready. “I'm not really in the mood to fight today. I was hoping I could snatch you up while your back was turned and be done with all this nonsense.”

"Why didn't Bison send all of you? Where's F.A.N.G?"

Vega smiled, a slimy smirk that made Cammy wish she could punch his teeth out. If he were anyone else, she would have, but she knew that if she struck at Vega's face he would deal the damage back in spades.

"He was busy. Can you believe him? A grown man, and he still spends most of his time playing with dolls."

Cammy had never attacked someone the way she attacked Vega. With a furious shout she launched herself across the floor at him, feet coming off the mats and then hitting them again with a squeak as she landed in a crouch, having hit nothing on the way. Vega had sidestepped easily, with a matador's flourish, and then turned to her with a smile.

"Temper, temper," he scolded. He pulled his mask from where it was hooked onto the sash at his waist and put it on. Cammy could still see his eyes, narrowed with a smirk.

Balrog had bounced back like the vicious kick to the ankles had been nothing but an inconvenience, and Cammy could see him squaring off with Mika. Vega's screeching laugh and the flash of his claws dragged her away from the other fight – the razor edges of his weapon grazed the very end of one of her braids, cutting off a few short tufts of pale blonde. Cammy could tell Mika was upset, probably recalling the first time she had fought Shadaloo. Her stance was sloppy, nothing like when she had sparred with Zangief, but Cammy forced her sole focus onto Vega.

“So you're here for me,” she said, dancing a few steps back from Vega. “What do you want, exactly?”

“Just information, I assure you.” Vega said. “Nothing more. I heard you were talking about us behind our backs! For shame.”

Vega slashed forward and Cammy sidestepped. She realized a second after they were apart again that she could have landed at least one hit on his side – she was stressed out and not in the right frame of mind to fight, her mind buzzing with thoughts that weren't the situation in front of her. There was no doubt in her mind that Vega had noticed.

“Just tell us where we can find the rest of the witnesses, and we'll be out of your hair.”

“You shouldn't have gotten tangled in it in the first place,” Cammy spat back, taking a running start, ducking at the last second under a sweep of claws, and sliding in to land a boot squarely against Vega's knee. He yelped and first took a step away and then a leisurely backflip. Cammy rolled clear and leapt back to her feet.

“Your comebacks were never that flimsy when you were a Doll,” Vega scolded. “If you don't know where they are, that's not a problem! I suspect someone will. Perhaps Chun-Li, or...?”

“You're not getting anything out of me,” Cammy yelled back, throat already growing hoarse with the force of her words, “so you might as well just leave!”

“But Killer Bee,” Vega said, the pout behind his mask coming through loud and clear, “we came all this way.”

The bellow of pain that filled the building to the rafters startled both Vega and Cammy into dropping their stances and swivelling on the spot to stare at the fight unfolding behind them. Cammy's heart had done a sickly twist in her chest, but the shout wasn't that of a woman – Mika was holding Balrog over one shoulder, his hips next to her head and his feet flailing in the air. He was trying to land a punch on her back but the angle was too awkward, and every single blow just glanced off her uniform's smooth spandex.

With a much more feminine but no less powerful roar than the one that had echoed through the building just seconds before, Mika jumped, pushing both her and Balrog's weight off the ground, then plowed down into the mat, landing so hard that his thick arms crumpled and his head made contact with the floor. The impact echoed after the yell, and after Mika scrambled to her feet all four of them froze where they were. Once the echo died out, the room was left silent but for gasps of breath.

“Vega,” Balrog wheezed, lying on his back on the floor, “we're done here!”

Mika took a few steps backwards. Cammy kept an eye on Vega, but it seemed both fights had finished.

“I suppose you're not going to ask for my input on this?”

Balrog stood, uneasy, neck held stiff like he was unable or unwilling to move it. “She could have broken my neck! This sneak attack bullshit wasn't in the plan you told Bison!”

“Will you quit your disgusting whining?”

“If you hadn't wanted to have fun or whatever, we wouldn't be in this situation at all!”

Vega rolled his eyes. “I could do without the sass as well.”

“You won't be getting any information from either of us,” Cammy shouted, making sure her body was squarely between Mika and the Generals. “You might as well get out of here!”

“Sounds good to me!” Balrog yelled back, walking towards Vega with his shoulders squared and forward. If Vega hadn't sidestepped at the last second, Balrog would have collided with him. He was like a train – nothing was going to stop him now that he was on the move.

Vega rolled his eyes again, so hard that they were almost solid white at the peak of it. “Yes, yes, we're going. I think the rain's stopped. No sense in waiting around for it to start up again.”

“We'll be around,” Balrog said, without turning back.

Vega turned and followed Balrog, with no heed for Cammy, and they walked out through the front doors as casual as if nothing had happened. It made Cammy's chest and throat boil with rage, and she wanted to chase them down and continue the fight, but she was all too aware of Mika standing behind her. As soon as the doors slammed closed and the echo was finished reverberating through the building, Mika released the breath she was holding and gasped for fresher air. Cammy bit her lip so hard it ached and likely bruised, but turned around to face Mika. She looked like she was right on the verge of a tear-stained hyperventilating breakdown.

“We're going to get out of here, okay?” Cammy said, carefully sliding an arm around Mika's shoulders to guide her towards the doors. “They're already long gone. We're leaving.”

Mika nodded and held out one hand. Cammy took it in her own. Mika was shaking so hard that Cammy felt the tremors all the way into her shoulder.

“Okay,” Mika replied. “I'm okay.”

“As soon as we're in a safe place, I'm going to call Chun-Li, and we're going to figure out a secure spot to meet and get this all figured out.”

“Okay,” Mika repeated, nodding. “I'm okay.” She was plainly reassuring herself just as much as she was replying to Cammy, and if she was honest Cammy was reassuring herself just as much as she was conveying the plan to Mika. She checked their surroundings as they exited the building, and Mika craned around to look as well, much less efficiently. There was nothing remarkable, no pedestrians, not even a trace of litter on the shady side street.

Cammy tugged off her uniform jacket and wrapped it around Mika's shoulders. She seemed more grounded now that they were out of the building but she was still visibly shaken, and goosebumps had erupted along her exposed skin in the rain-chilled air. Cammy could feel the cool seeping through both her heavy wool pants and the tight combat suit underneath.

“I was just... I thought I would get some exercise and clear my mind... I didn't–”

She stopped abruptly.

Cammy glanced over at Mika and found Mika already looking at her, tugging the jacket tight around her shoulders. Her eyebrows were drawn together so tight that the rictus of concern was visible even under her mask.

“Are... are _you_ okay?”

Cammy nodded. “I am. I will be. Let's keep moving.”

In the end, the second day of the conference was cancelled altogether. There was no need to call dozens of witnesses to prove how bold Shadaloo's attacks were, now that they had made their presence in the city altogether too clear.


	4. Chapter 4

Day three began with Cammy's wake up call being delivered right to her door an hour early by a special services agent dressed top to toe in black. She was so overtired and emotionally wrung-out that she almost laughed in his face – he looked the part of a secret agent a little too much, right down to the black sunglasses indoors and the small wire threaded from under his lapel to his ear.

“Special Agent White,” he said, voice gruff. “I've been keeping an eye on the hotel overnight. I'm here to escort you to the summit building.”

Cammy stared at him. When she spoke she didn't bother keeping the caustic sarcasm under wraps. “Delightful. Can I get a coffee first?”

He frowned a little but nodded. She slammed the door in his face and plodded back into her room to get ready for the day ahead.

The weather had improved, barely. The sky still looked ready to burst but the streets remained nothing more than damp and dreary from yesterday's downpour. Her secret agent bodyguard let her take the lead as they exited the hotel, but stuck so close to her side that she could hear him breathing right behind her. She had no doubt that he had been assigned to her by Chun-Li personally, and while she did appreciate the sentiment, she wasn't going to be responsible for what happened if he stepped on her heels while following her so closely. And besides that, she could take care of herself perfectly well, even against Shadaloo. Especially against Shadaloo.

The city was crawling with Interpol agents. Cammy recognized faces as they passed by, little more than wisps of memory returning before they once again ducked out of sight among the thin early morning crowds or behind the drowsy-slow traffic. She wouldn't have been surprised if a third of the people they crossed paths with were plain clothes officers from some top secret bureau or the local police – Chun-Li was nothing if not thorough.

As they approached the doors of the conference hall, Cammy's guard dog quickened his pace until he was a step ahead of her.

“Special Agent White, please stay close by...”

She couldn't hold back an eye roll as she elbowed back in front of him. She knew why he was getting in her way – Mika's sunny blonde hair was visible even through the reflections of dreary clouds in the windows.

“I'll be quite alright, I assure you,” she said.

Mika looked up from her glittery flip-top phone as the door clattered open and made eye contact with Cammy. The black-suited agent at her elbow leaned over to mutter something in her ear – her expression stayed just as blank as it had been when she was looking at her phone, but she nodded. Evidently she had just been told the same thing Cammy already knew, but that her assigned agent seemed to think she needed to be reminded of – keep your distance. Cammy would be having some words with Chun-Li about that.

Cammy forced a smile and a wave in Mika's direction. Mika just looked back down at the decorated device in her hand. She had to have seen Cammy, they made eye contact, and what else would her agent be talking to her about? Cammy let her hand fall back to her side, steeled her expression again, and resumed her furious-paced march towards the doors. Her agent scrambled to keep up with her.

The entire schedule had been upended by Vega and Balrog's appearance. Chun-Li explained what had happened, and a concerned but unsurprised murmur spread through the room. This wasn't unexpected, but it was a worst-case scenario. Cammy listened but had nothing to contribute. She glanced down at Mika more than once but saw only the back of her head. By the time they called it a day early, so their security teams could do more damage control, Cammy's yellow notepad was covered in scribbles of cats. The instant the other occupants of the room began to stand, Cammy slapped it closed and tucked it under her arm.

She thundered down the stairs to the front of the room so fast that her assigned agent almost tripped as he stood up and raced after her. She caught Chun-Li adjusting her jacket and organizing her speech notecards.

“I need you to take surveillance off me,” Cammy blurted, without so much as a smile. Chun-Li smiled, of course, because she was infinitely more cordial and diplomatic than Cammy, but her expression was tinged with confusion. “Mika Nanakawa as well.”

“Really,” Chun-Li said. “And why would that be?”

“At least loosen the leash a bit! Your agent here,” Cammy replied, jabbing a finger over her shoulder where she knew he was standing, “tells me that Mika and myself can't even get close enough to talk!”

Chun-Li pursed her lips. “That's for a very good reason, and I'm surprised that I have to justify this to you, of all people. Having the two of you close to one another is very risky, with Shadaloo clearly trying to get to you...”

“We've both fought off Shadaloo attacks more than once,” Cammy pushed back, “and don't tell me that being close will make us an easier target for abduction. If they wanted that we'd be gone already.”

Chun-Li tucked the notecards into her inner breast pocket, under her medals, and turned her full undivided attention towards Cammy. She crossed her arms. “You're quite serious about arguing your case, aren't you?”

“Yes,” Cammy replied, “I am. I think that instead of having two separate security details on us, as if we were civilians, having the two of us stick together with a detail combing the area would be a better use of resources. It's doubtful the Generals will make another move towards me for the rest of the summit anyway, considering they've failed once already.”

Chun-Li closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. “You'll both still have a full security detail with you.”

“I understand.”

“And I don't want either of you entering any buildings that haven't been swept beforehand. Not a single toe goes through the door until it's been cleared.”

“Absolutely.”

“And... keep an eye on Mika, please. She's a good person and I wish she hadn't been dragged into this.”

Cammy nodded and paused, considering whether to confide in Chun-Li, and decided that if there was anyone she could speak frankly to it was her. “If I'm honest that's the reason I wanted to change the security details around. We just met, but... I feel partially responsible for her. Otherwise I wouldn't be asking.”

“If we're speaking as friends now,” Chun-Li said, leaning in close, “Zangief told me a few things about what's going on. I don't doubt that Mika is feeling conflicted about everything that's happened, but it sounds like she's been growing very fond of you too.”

Cammy felt blood rush to her face. “There's gossip already?”

Chun-Li mimed zipping her lips closed, locking them, and tossing the key over her shoulder, then stood up straight and slipped back into professional mode. She was the only person Cammy knew who could bounce between two roles so smoothly, even if she did let them bleed together a little much for Cammy's liking sometimes. “All that aside, if you feel safer sticking together and having security at a distance then I trust your judgment. I'll send the word out.”

Cammy chased Mika down immediately.

Word moved fast when it was travelling by earpiece. By the time Cammy approached Mika, her bodyguard was already making tracks in the opposite direction. Mika was once again glued to her phone, but she looked up at the retreating agent, expression changing from confusion to stony-faced blankness once she spotted Cammy.

“Mika,” Cammy said, a little breathless. She drew herself up to her full height, even though Mika's stare was willing her to wither. “I talked to Chun-Li. The security is going to be a little different.”

Mika slapped her phone shut and picked a short fingernail against one of the plastic chocolates on the cover. That was the only indication that she might have been covering up uneasiness. “Different how?”

“We're going to stay together, and some people will keep an eye on us from a distance. That way I can...”

“What the hell makes you think I wanna stick close to you?”

“E-excuse me?”

“What if I don't wanna?”

Cammy's entire body prickled with a wave of shame and anger. Her jaw set in place and her teeth ground together, echoing through her head, but the tension only served to make the feeling worse. She didn't know what to think, much less what to say.

“It's safer,” she finally managed to spit out.

Mika's eyes were fiery, but the way she was pursing her lips together and chewing the inside of her cheek suggested she was desperate to make Cammy think she was cold and collected. 

Mika crossed her arms and tapped one foot against the ground with a glance after her retreating bodyguard.

“You gonna handcuff us together or something?”

“Wh- no!” Cammy let her carefully controlled expression slip for a moment. She hoped Mika didn't notice the flicker of head-spinning confusion.

Mika pocketed her phone with a huff. “I can take care of myself, you know!”

Cammy gritted her teeth so hard that her vision started to whiten at the edges, then took a deep breath. “That isn't what this is about at all!”

Mika opened her mouth as if to start shouting for real, above the volume of her naturally loud and throaty voice, but Cammy held up a hand. “Maybe this isn't the place?”

Mika choked up a noise of frustration – at least Cammy hoped it was frustration, because it was bordering on disgust. “Probably not. Fine. Lead the way.”

After a moment to compose herself, Cammy turned on her heels and headed for the door, hearing one set of footsteps follow and knowing that two more were coming behind them. It was agonizing to know that Mika was probably staring at the back of her head, burning a hole through her beret with the force of her contact-coloured gaze, but it was better than facing her head on. That would have to wait until their makeshift entourage got to where Cammy was leading them.


End file.
